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Video: Romney, Obama spar over economic records

Transcript of: Romney, Obama spar over economic records

LESTER HOLT, anchor:To presidential politics now, and more fallout from that disappointing jobs report. Today,
Romney
surrogates went on the attack, putting the president's senior campaign strategists on the defensive. Also an election this week in the state of
Wisconsin
is getting a lot of attention now nationally. Both sides viewing it as a possible bellwether for the fall.
NBC
's
Mike Viqueira
has our report.

MIKE VIQUEIRA reporting:In the wake of the bad news on jobs, today,
Mitt Romney
aides continued their attack.

Mr. KEVIN MADDEN (Romney Campaign Senior Adviser):If we had a president who had a record to run on, he would do so.

Mr. DAVID AXELROD (Obama Campaign Senior Strategist):They grew jobs at one-fifth the rate of the rest of the
country
. It wasn't the record of a job creator. He had the wrong economy philosophy and he failed.

VIQUEIRA:Both sides are bracing for a tight race. An early test could come Tuesday in
Wisconsin
, where the bitter fight to recall
GOP
Governor
Scott Walker
is being billed by both sides as a dry run in the
presidential race
.

Representative PAUL RYAN (Republican, Wisconsin):The whole
country
is watching us. This is an election that will send shock waves throughout
America
.

VIQUEIRA:In office just 18 months,
Walker
ignited a firestorm after stripping public workers of collective bargaining rights and making them pay more into pension and health plans. A record $64 million has been spent on the recall, much of it from out-of-state unions and their opponents nationwide. National figures on both sides have weighed in, including
Bill Clinton
, who campaigned with the challenger,
Milwaukee
Mayor
Tom Barrett
.

Former President BILL CLINTON:You tell them no.

VIQUEIRA:But
President Obama
has stayed away. With
Walker
holding a slight lead in the polls, experts say the result could be a sign of things to come.

Mr. MARK MURRAY (NBC News Senior Political Editor):There is no more polarized electorate than in
Wisconsin
. In a lot of ways it's a microcosm for the rest of the
country
. And it's going to be a test run to what we're going to see in November.

VIQUEIRA:And the race for the
White House
in November,
Lester
, is tight and getting tighter. And to that end, it's going to be costly as well.
President Obama
travels to
New York City
tomorrow for three separate fund-raisers with
Bill Clinton
. Meanwhile,
Mitt Romney
out at fund-raisers, six of them, he's

got booked throughout the week. Lester:Mike Viqueira
at the
White House
tonight, thank you.